WINE TO DINE

Scottish Field wine columnist and drinks blogger Peter Ranscombe picks the perfect chocolate pairings.

1 GONZALEZ BYASS MATUSALEM 30-YEAR-OLD OLOROSO SHERRY Waitrose £19.99 for 375ml

Forget Grandma’s sticky sideboard Christmas tipple, this is nutty sweet sherry at its hazelnutmatching best.

2 LE FAÎTE ROUGE ST MONT Corney & Barrow £20.95

For something a wee bit drier to pair with your chocolate, head to the foothills of the Pyrenees and this coal smoke-infused red to sip by the fireside.

3 QUINTA DO NOVAL LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT, 2012 Oddbins

£24

My personal pick to pair with David Hetherington’s chocolate torte; a grown-up port to match grown-up desserts.

4 STARK-CONDÉ THREE PINES CABERNET SAUVIGNON, 2016 Museum Wines £29.99

You’d pay thrice the price in Bordeaux or Napa for chocolatelaced cab sav like this South African venison verifier.

5 CASAL DEI RONCHI RECIOTO CLASSICO AG Wine £39.99 for 500ml

Valpolicella as you’ve never seen it before, with enhanced sweetness to beef up its chocolatematching capabilities and provide an even richer mouthfeel.